Sept 24

1) Field Trip forms: went home today please return them as soon as possible. Information regarding volunteering has been sent out in an email to those who have volunteer clearance. 

As a parent volunteer, the CBE requires a police clearance; if you do not have this document, we regret that you will not be able to come at this time. If you would like to volunteer in the future, please visit the office with your photo identification and ask for a volunteer clearance form.

2) Fall art: On Thursday Sept 27th students will be creating a composition of leaf rubbings. We will be asking students to bring in a variety of leaf that they can find on the group to create leaf rubbings from.

3) Orange Shirt day: Royal Oak Students are invited to wear an orange shirt on Friday, September 28th in recognition of Orange Shirt Day.  

“Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.”

Orange Shirt Day Website

To learn more about why we are wearing an orange shirt, we have provided a link that explains Phyllis’ story below:

Phyllis’ Story

Thank you, from the Circle of Courage Committee 

Coming up
Sept 27  - students bring in leaf rubbing
Sept 28th - Orange Shirt Day
Oct 3rd  - Heritage park trip: more information to come
Oct 8th  - Thanksgiving no school
Oct 11th  - picture day
Oct 11th  - disciplinary literacy Parent evening

Sept 21

A huge thank you to all of the parent volunteers who provided teachers with an amazing meal Thursday evening.

Wow we have had an amazing week. We have practiced all of our safety drill and feel good about being safe at school. Yesterday we had a Beakerhead assembly and learned all about the science behind juggling and optical illusions. If you would like more information check about Beakerhead check out the link. Beakerhead will be running all weekend.

Also thank you for everyone who came out for conferences. It was great to touch base and get to know each other.

1) Fall art: On Thursday Sept 27th students will be creating a composition of leaf rubbings. We will be asking students to bring in a variety of leaf that they can find on the group to create leaf rubbings from.

Coming up
Sept 27  - students bring in leaf rubbing
Sept 28th - Orange Shirt Day
Oct 3rd  - Heritage park trip: more information to come
Oct 8th  - Thanksgiving no school
Oct 11th  - picture day
Oct 11th  - disciplinary literacy Parent evening

Sept 19

Congratulations to Royal Oak students on a successful Terry Fox run! As a school we raised $729 and ran 1029 kms!!! We would also like to send out a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Royal Oak Sobeys for their generous donation of bananas. Our students were able to enjoy a healthy snack after their run.

You can also add a link to my PE blog if you would like. There are a few pictures of the run. Thanks!

https://hennickpe.blogspot.com/

Sept 18

This week in grade 2 we have been learning all about how to stay safe at school So far we have successfully practiced a fire drill and a lockdown. Tomorrow we will be practicing our evacuation.

1) Heritage Park Field trip save the date: On October 3rd our class will be taking a field trip to Heritage Park where they will think like historians as they explore the past. At the moment the paper work is still in the process of being approved but we wanted to let you know that this trip will be coming up and more information will be coming to you soon. If you are interested in volunteering I will also be sending information out soon. Thank you for your continued support.

2) Student Centered Conferences

On Thursday, September 20^th and Friday, September 21^st we will have our first Student Centered Conferences. A reminder to parents that:

·      Thursday, September 20^th is a regular school day for Grades 1 – 3.  9:10am entry, 3:50pm dismissal.

·      There will be no school for Kindergarten students only on Thursday, September 20^th.

·      There will be no school for Kindergarten – Grade 3 on Friday, September 21^st. 

Additionally, the School Conference booking system will close TONIGHT, Tuesday, September 18^th at 11:59pm.

The following instructions will help you find the My CBE/PowerSchool Parent Account link to book conferences:

Booking School Conferences

• On the Calgary Board of Education website, scroll to the middle of the page
• Click on “My CBE/PowerSchool Parent Account” link
• Sign into your PowerSchool Parent Account
• Click on myCBE Apps (left hand side of screen)
• Click on my School Conferences (right hand side of screen)
• Select the conference day/time and submit to book your child’s conference

***NOTE: You will receive an email confirmation only if your booking was successful***

If you have not created a "My CBE/PowerSchool Account", the instructions to do so can be found hereCreate MyCBE/PowerSchool Parent Account

Sept 14

1) Calgary Reading: We are a  Calgary Reads School and we are looking for VOLUNTEERS!

 Calgary Reads offers several school-based reading and tutoring programs for young children. And we need your help. Each program relies on volunteers to make them successful. Visit www.CalgaryReads.com for more information about how toget involved.

 

 

Volunteers must have a valid police check completed with the school’s office and need to attend training provided by Calgary Reads. You also must have experience with Wee Reads prior to taking Read-Up training.

 

* If we have enough parents interest we can run a Wee Reads training session right at the school! *

                                     

If you’re interested in volunteering please reach out to our Resource Teacher, Heather Mitschke at hmmitschke@cbe.ab.ca

 

Sept 13

In Inquiry we created a checklist for both the presenter and the audience so that we have clear expectations when we present our artifacts next week. Please see below for the checklist we will be using.

The presenter:

      I can hold up my artifact so everyone can see it.

      I can tell the story of my artifact. – Where it is from, who made it or who owned it first, why it is special.

      I can speak in a loud clear voice with expression while looking at my audience.

      I can tell a story that makes sense.

      I can make my story so interesting so that people want to know more.

The audience:

      I can sit criss-cross with my listening ears on.

      I can ask those who are talking to stop.

      I can listen quietly.

      I can think of questions before, during and after the presentation.

      I can watch the person who is presenting without getting distracted.

      I can wait till the end to ask questions.

      I can look, think and wonder about the artifact.

      I can record my observations, thoughts and questions in my journal.

1) Terry Fox run: is tomorrow remember to wear your Royal Oak Blue.

2) Conferences: Are open for registration through PowerSchool. A form was also sent home today with some pre-conference questions. Please fill out the form and return it by Tuesday Sept 18th.

Sept 12

We have been learning about other teacher artifacts. One teacher shared about a tea tray and the other teacher shared shared about a quilt. We learned that the person with the tea tray was very kind because she passed it on.

We read the book How full is your bucket for kids and wrote shout outs for each other.

We have started to learn about Terry Fox and how he ran across Canada to raise money for kids and grown ups who have cancer.

This mid week update is brought to by Rm 73

1) Terry fox run: is Friday September 14th at 11:00 am. Parents are invited to meet their child on the field to run the course with them.

2) Artifacts: Please bring in  an artifact next week. See previous post for more information.

Coming up
  Oct 17- 20th Safety week
  Oct 17th Beackerhead assembly
  Oct 20th and 21st conferences

Sept 11

1) Artifact presentation: Please read below for more information. Students are being asked to bring in their artifacts starting next Monday Sept 17th.

 Dear Families,

Our inquiry this year focuses on the question, “How do our stories connect?”. Through this question we will be looking closely at ourselves, our families, our heritage, cultures and traditions, other distinct communities in Canada and the natural world around us.  To begin our investigation, we are exploring families; their culture, heritage and artifacts that they pass from generation to generation. What stories do these artifacts tell?  Why have they been saved.  What is the significance to your families’ stories?  Why is this artifact special?

To explore this topic, I am asking every student to share a special family artifact or a photograph of an artifact with the class. Please support your child in finding something to bring into the class and completing the questions below. Hopefully this will be a wonderful learning opportunity for your child to learn more about your family and what’s special to you. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Today I am sharing something that is special to my family.

I am sharing ____________________________________

This is special to my family because (please include where this artifact is from, who it was handed down to, where it came from, what meaning does it carry for your family and why it was saved) 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for you continued support,

Grade 2 Teachers

Sept 10

1) Terry Fox Run: On Friday, September 14^th, Royal Oak School and William D. Pratt School will be participating in the Terry Fox Run.  Students will gather on the field between the two schools to take part in the annual 30-minute run, which is scheduled to begin at 11:00am.  Students attending morning Kindergarten are welcome to attend, if they are accompanied by a supervising adult.

On this day please ensure that your child is appropriately dressed for the weather (including running shoes).  If the weather is poor, students will walk inside the school during their PE class time.

 We are asking that each child donate a “Toonie for Terry” for the Terry Fox Foundation. Classroom teachers will be collecting the money all week leading up to the run. 

 All parents/guardians who are interested in joining their child/children in this event are more than welcome.

 We do require a fair number of volunteers for this event to ensure its success.  If you have security clearance and if you are able to volunteer during the run time, kindly contact our school Volunteer Coordinator at rosvolunteers@gmail.com.

 Thank you for your support.

Sept 7

In inquiry we learned about artifacts. Take a look at the picture below and wonder what is it. Try I see, I think, I wonder. We tried this out today. If you get stuck you can ask your child.

In writing we wrote about our summer, our hopes, our goals, and our names. 

In art we did all about me hand prints for our visual journal covers. Ask me about the images or words I choose to include on my handprint that show who I am.

1) ROS fundraising: packages went home today.

2) Opening School Packages: Return by Thursday Sept 13th.

Sept 6

This week we started working on our Visual Journal covers and sharing information about us. We have also been learning about the importance of our names and why they are special. Ask your parents about the meaning of your name?

1) School information package: went home yesterday. Please return by Thursday September 13th.

Welcome Back

Please find below some general information you will find helpful as we begin our year of learning together.

Blog

If you would like to learn more about what we did during our day and receive important information about our classroom and the school such as field trips and special events you can follow my blog at https://macdonaldgr2.blogspot.com/

If you would like to receive e-mail's when a new post is made, please press the subscribe button and enter your e-mail address.

Shoes

Students require two pairs of shoes.  One pair is to be used exclusively for indoor wear and the other for outdoor wear.  Please select shoes that your child can put on easily and independently.  If your child is unable to tie his/her shoes independently, please use Velcro shoes.  Both pairs of shoes should be appropriate for gym activities and running as we participate in daily physical education both indoors and outdoors dependent on weather. Please label your child’s shoes as many children have the same shoes. J

Snacks and Lunch

We set aside time before our outside movement break for students to eat their snacks as part of a classroom community.  We also use this opportunity to discuss healthy food choices and how they impact our energy and learning.  Please pack your child's snack and lunch separately in different containers or compartments so it is easy for your child to know when they should be eating each part. At times students will bring their snack with them outdoors.  Due to the number of children with food and nut allergies, we ask that you remind your children not to share food such as recess snacks with their friends. Please note that there are no microwaves available to heat snacks or lunches.  Grade 2 students will be eating their lunches in the lunchroom during the second sitting at 12:30. Please ensure you label their lunch bags as they sometimes end up in another classroom’s bin. 

Daily Folder

A clear folder will be coming home in your child's backpack. This is their communication folder and we will use it each day to send home notices and important information. If you need to send a note to the teacher, it can also come in this folder. We will check them each day. 

Supervision

Morning supervision begins at 8:55 am.  Please do not leave your children unattended before that time.  Students will also have a supervised morning recess and a supervised lunch recess.

Pick-up meeting spot

Due to the large amount of parents and caretakers picking up students at the end of the day, parents are encouraged to make meeting spots for their child. Some caregivers make their meeting spot on the hill so the student can still see the parent when they're leaving. Other meeting spots may be the coloured basketball nets. Students in Grade 2 know that if they check their meeting spot and their parent or caregiver is not there that they must return to the Grade 2 doors or the office. You can send me a quick e-mail at ammacdonald@cbe.ab.ca and let me know your meeting spot and I will ensure the students head there at dismissal. 

Birthday invites

If your child has birthday invitations to hand out, please instruct them to hand them out during the recess break or put them in the communication folder for me to discreetly hand out. I do not expect that all students be invited to all parties.  We are unable to hand out birthday treats. 

Fridays

Our dismissal time on Fridays has changed to 1:10. Due to this later time we will provide the students with 2 opportunities to eat a snack. If you could ensure that you send your child with 2 large snacks that would be appreciated.

Volunteers

Throughout the year we will be looking for a number of parent volunteers to assist us in the classroom and on field trips. Please see the front office to confirm that volunteer and police clearance information is current. All volunteers must have current security and volunteer clearance before you will be able to volunteer.  These can take several weeks so please do them well in advance

This year, I would like to be intentional and organized in the way that volunteers are managed and implemented, as your time is so very valuable and important to us. Below, please let me know if you are able to volunteer with the school, and what your preferred availability would be (please check more than one if that suits you).

________________________________________________________________________

   (Volunteer’s Name(s))

________________________________________________________________________

   (Child’s Name)     

I am available: ______________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to fill this out. Please send it back in your child’s communication folder at your earliest convenience.